The Mets set the tone right from the outset as Len Dykstra struck the third pitch of the game around the Pesky Pole for a leadoff home run. Wally Backman followed with a single and Keith Hernandez singled in the alley in center to move Backman to third. Gary Carter doubled to the wall to score Backman as NBC analyst Vin Scully said the Can was leaky. Boyd got a huge out by striking out Darryl Strawberry. Wade Boggs then fielded a routine grounder by Ray Knight and blew not one, but TWO run-downs as both Hernandez, then Carter scampered to their respective bases safely to load the bases. The failed rundown bit the Sox has Danny Heep lined a single to score Hernandez to increase the lead. Boyd blew Mookie Wilson away and Boggs made up for his mental error by snaring a hard hit ball by Rafael Santana, tossing to second for the force to end the inning. The Mets had jumped out to a 4-0 lead before the Sox could even come to bat.
Old pal Ojeda got the ball to start the bottom of the first and Boggs led off with a comebacker to the mound. Marty Barrett followed with a comebacker of his own and Bill Buckner flied out to right to end the inning.
Boyd came back for the top of the second inning and retired Dykstra on a ground ball to second. Boyd froze Backman with a rainbow curveball for strike three and Hernandez grounded out to first to end the inning. Jim Rice took strike 3 to open the bottom the bottom of the second as Vin Scully says Ojeda's best friend on the Sox was Rich Gedman. Don Baylor was robbed of a home run by the top of the Monster and had to settle for a double. Baylor was stranded as Dwight Evans hit a squibber to short and Gedman watched strike three go by to end the inning.
Boyd began the top of the third inning by getting Carter on a broken bat pop up to left. Strawberry flied out to right-center and Knight popped up to end the inning. The Sox broke through in the bottom of the third as Scully reminded the fans that when the eventual 1984 World Champion Detroit Tigers started the season 35-5, one of the 5 losses was a shut-out pitched by Ojeda for the Red Sox. Dave Henderson was unimpressed and singled to left to lead off the inning. Spike Owen lined out softly to third but Boggs walked. Barrett singled home Henderson to put Boston on the board and Ojeda on the ropes. Buckner let him off by striking out on a pitch up in his eyes and Rice grounded into a force to end the inning, but the Sox were now down 4-1.
Could Boyd keep it a 4-1 game in the top of the fourth? Heep flied out to center to start. After Scully gave us a short history on the Green Monster and a map of Boston, Wilson grounded out to second. Santana grounded out to third to end the inning. That's 11 in a row retired by Boyd after the disastrous first. Ojeda matched Boyd in the bottom of the fourth as Baylor grounded out to short to begin. Evans was out on a swinging bunt in front of the plate before Gedman lined out to a running Wilson to end the inning.
Dykstra broke the string by Boyd with a bloop single to start the top of the fifth. He moved to second on the ground out by Backman then to third on the fly out by Hernandez. Carter popped up to short to end the inning. Henderson was caught looking on a changeup to open the bottom of the fifth as Scully compared Ojeda to diffusing a bomb. Backman made a great diving play to rob Owen of a hit but Boggs singled down the left field line. Barrett singled up the middle but Ojeda got out of it by getting Buckner to ground into a force to end the inning. Another chance wasted.
Boyd came back for the top of the sixth as Strawberry popped up to center to begin. Knight hit a ground ball to Owen that was dug out by Buckner for the second out. Heep popped up to right to end the inning. The Mets have had just one baserunner since Heep's rbi single with one out in the top of the first. The Sox tried to start a rally in the bottom of the sixth as Rice walked to start the inning. Baylor popped up to Knight who almost cleaned out Santana making the catch. Evans struck out but a wild pitch by Ojeda moved Rice to second. Gedman got caught looking on a curveball at the knees to end the inning, another runner left in scoring position.
Boyd returned for the top of the seventh inning and Wilson popped up to Buckner in foul territory to begin. Santana singled up the middle and Dykstra singled to right. Backman popped up to left but Hernandez walked to load the bases. Carter then iced the game with a base hit to score Santana and Dykstra before being thrown out in a run-down to end the inning. The Mets had put the game away 6-1. Boyd stayed in one batter too late even if he completed 7 innings.
Ojeda came back for the bottom of the seventh and walked Henderson to start. Owen banged into a double play on a great play by Backman then Boggs hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.
Joe Sambito got the ball in the top of the eighth and Strawberry singled to center before taking second on a wild pitch. Darryl took third on a passed ball when Gedman dropped it then scored on the Knight double down the left field line. That was it for Sambito as Sox manager John MacNamara pulled him in favor of Bob Stanley, terrible outing by Joe. Lee Mazzilli pinch hit for Kevin Mitchell who was pinch hitting for Heep and grounded out, moving Knight to third. Stanley blew away Wilson who did a 360 on his way back to the dugout. Santana hit a comebacker to Stanley to end the inning with the lead now 7-1.
Roger McDowell took over for Ojeda in the bottom of the 8th inning as Scully claimed there hasn't been a complete game thrown by a lefty since Frank Viola in August of 1985. Barrett and Buckner were both retired on squibbers and Rice on a ground out to third to end the inning.
Stanley returned for the top of the ninth and Dykstra greeted him with a single in the hole at short. Dykstra was erased on the force by Backman but Hernandez singled. Carter banged into a double play to end the inning. McDowell returned for the bottom of the ninth and got Baylor to ground out to third after a lengthy at-bat. Evans flied out to right and Gedman grounded out to second to end the game. The Mets had won it 7-1.
Jackass of the Night is Oil Can Boyd. It really should be John McNamara for leaving him in too long but he went 7 full innings giving up 6 runs the Sox could not recover.
The Good:
Wade Boggs was 1 for 3 with a walk.
Marty Barrett was 2 for 4 with an rbi.
Dave Henderson was 1 for 2 with a walk and a run scored.
Bob Stanley tossed 2 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Bill Buckner was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Dwight Evans was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Rich Gedman was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Spike Owen was 0 for 3.
Joe Sambito was charged with a run without retiring anyone.
The Ugly:
Jim Rice was 0 for 3 but walked.
Don Baylor was just 1 for 4.
Final Thoughts:
Damn....that's all that can be said. The Sox had a perfect chance to bury the Mets and they let them off the hook. The leadoff homer by Dykstra set the tone and the 4 run first inning was too much for the Sox to overcome. Yes they've overcome greater disadvantages in the past but these are the 108 win Mets, these guys are for real. Tomorrow night Ron Darling goes on 3 days rest for the Mets against a rested Al Nipper. If only Tom Seaver was healthy, but hopefully Nipper can bury the Mets in Game 4.
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